Source: Northern_Echo
Quakers favourite is backing ticket appeal
A FORMER Darlington crowd favourite has called on fans to get behind a season ticket appeal and admitted the club's problems started when it moved to its current ground.[LNB] Former midfielder Neil Maddison played 129 games for the Quakers between 2001 and 2007 and now coaches youngsters at the club in his role as centre of excellence manager.[LNB] The 41-year-old, who lives in the town, said an appeal by chairman Raj Singh for 2,000 adult season ticket pledges by the end of the month so the club's future next season could be secured was not out of the question or impossible.[LNB] Mr Maddison, who also played for Middlesbrough, said: It is about your own identity, supporting your own club and being passionate about your own town.[LNB] We know the fans are out there we have seen them at games before, we just need them to nail their colours to the mast.[LNB] He said the club's problems began when it moved from its Feethams ground to what is now the 25,000-capacity Northern Echo Arena, which is largely unfilled most matchdays.[LNB] Mr Maddison said: You could have a small crowd at Feethams and the atmosphere was always great.[LNB] The long-term solution would be for the club to relocate, and I know the chairman has said he will consider that if he can resolve all the problems with the holding company and the council.[LNB] The only short-term answer right now is for the people of Darlington to get behind the chairman, show their support in numbers and take out a season ticket.[LNB] Darlington are on the fringes of the conference play-off places and play Gateshead away in the second leg of the FA Trophy semi-final on Saturday.[LNB] Referring to the 4,000-plus crowd at the arena for the first leg of the semi last weekend, Mr Maddison said: Taking away the visiting fans, we had more than 3,000 Darlington supporters inside the ground last Saturday, and it does beg the question, why can't they come every week'.[LNB] He said Mr Singh had steadied the ship after a very uncertain period for the club and now needed more help from supporters to come through the gates.[LNB] Season tickets are £250 for adults, £155 for concessions and £46 for children under 16. Call 01325-387000 or go to darlingtonfc.[LNB] net[LNB]
